RDA Riverina and Transgrid are in the final year of a 3-year strategic partnership focused on workforce development across the region as it becomes a hub for the country's renewable energy transformation. This collaboration has strengthened RDA Riverina's long-standing initiatives addressing the full workforce lifecycle—attraction, welcoming, retention, and growing local talent—and enables the local economy to harness the advantages of development as part of clean energy infrastructure projects in the region.

As the Wimmera Southern Mallee (WSM) region prepares for a wave of renewable energy and transmission infrastructure investment, local leaders are determined to ensure the transition brings real, lasting benefits for their communities.

Across Queensland's Western Downs and South Burnett, the shift from coal to renewables is reshaping landscapes, livelihoods and community identities. Home to the Tarong and Kogan Creek power stations and a growing mix of gas, solar and wind farms, the region is recognised as a key location in the Queensland Government's Energy Road Map.

Amid both opportunity and uncertainty, the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and Queensland Conservation Council recognised a need for local people to lead this transition so it can be fair, enduring and community driven.

New South Wales is undergoing a once-in-a-generation energy transformation, and it's unfolding in the regions. At the heart of this shift is the NSW Government's Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, a long-term strategy to modernise the state's energy system. Five Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) have been identified, spanning parts of 7 RDA regions and 34 Local Government Areas. EnergyCo has been established to coordinate investment and development across these zones, positioning regional NSW as the engine room of the transition.

The Shire of Victoria Plains is a small council of around 30 staff serving approximately 800 residents. The Shire is engaging early and actively with Green Wind Renewables, the proponent of two large scale wind energy projects spanning neighbouring shires and totalling approximately 1.2 gigawatts. The projects represent about 25% of scheduled wind farm capacity to be developed in Western Australia's Wheatbelt.

Residents of northeast Victoria's Yackandandah have made considerable savings by using the sun to power their homes. Yackandandah, affectionately known as 'Yack,' is more than just a case study in renewable power—it provides other communities with a blueprint for a community-led energy transition.

By coordinating community members on the same distribution network, we can enable community energy sharing and sell surplus energy to retailers, allowing everyone to profit from their contributions. Together, we can keep energy local, ease pressure on the grid and deliver benefits to the community.